‘What remains of this glorious seafaring age is one of the most beautiful seascapes in the country’

Haarlem and Hoorn are attractive alternatives to visiting Amsterdam by boat. A visit to the city is just an easy train ride away. Detlef Jens reports

The two attractive and historically relevant towns of Haarlem and Hoorn, both close to Amsterdam, are easy to visit by boat and have so much to offer.

Just for a moment, picture yourself strolling along quiet canals, past beautiful historic houses on cobbled streets, taking in all the flavours that make the very special atmosphere in an ancient Dutch town. And this, ideally, without having to elbow your way through the crowds or raft up your boat in a packed marina? Here’s where to go.

The Netherlands is only a short sailing distance from the UK’s east coast harbours, but once there, you can still experience quite a different culture. Even if you don’t arrive by accident – as in the great Arthur Ransome’s book We Didn’t Mean to Go to Sea.

Ransome sailed his own boat Nancy Blackett across to Flushing (Vlissingen) in order to research the correct navigational details for the book. Today, you will have to plan your route carefully, crossing TSS and navigating around wind parks and the like, none of which Ransome had to bother about in his time. But modern navigation makes it quite easy.

Depending on where you plan to make your Dutch landfall, two truly delightful and historically significant towns each make a rewarding goal to head for. Each of them is at least as pretty as Amsterdam, if not more so. And if you really want to visit Amsterdam, you can easily do so. Short train rides will take you from both towns straight into Amsterdam’s main station and city centre.

Haarlem’s charms

Haarlem is often considered as one of the most beautiful small towns in northern Europe. And yes, it is within easy commuting distance of Amsterdam, and housing is accordingly expensive. But for once, this need not concern us since we arrive on our own boat.

You can either reach Haarlem from the south, through the ‘Staande Mast Route’ from Vlissingen (the Standing Mast Route) that goes north-south, inland via canals and lakes, through the entire length of the Netherlands, with opening bridges that allow yachts to pass with their mast up.

Or sail to IJmuiden, go through the North Sea locks and motor up the North Sea canal towards Amsterdam. Just under halfway there, make a sharp turn to starboard into the Zijkkanaal that will take you to Haarlem.

On the canal, you will pass by the very friendly Haarlemsche Jachtclub. This harbour has spaces for visitors and good facilities for boat and crew. Although situated way out of town, the club offers free bicycles to visitors so you’ll be downtown Haarlem in an easy 15-minute ride.

If, on the other hand, you are not overly concerned about shore-side facilities, you can take your boat right into the city centre and moor up in several scenic places there. This is also a good option should you want to continue south through the Standing Mast Route on your way home. To take your boat into Haarlem and stay there, you will have to pay harbour fees via the Aanuit.net app. Everything’s in English and is self-explanatory, even for digital illiterates like myself.

Either way, Haarlem is very inviting, especially for boating people. You will find a wide range of art and culture, listed buildings and enchanting cafés close to the main canal. The centre is characterised by historic buildings such as the Bavokerk, cobblestone streets, and winding alleys lined with small shops.

The market square, Grote Markt, is a popular meeting place for both visitors and locals, with a market at the weekends. You also visit the idyllic courtyards for which Haarlem is also known, most of them beautifully designed and built in the 14th century. Several of these are open to the public and offer peaceful havens in town.

The courtyards in the Groene Tuin, Van Oorschot and Hofje van Bakenes are very popular. What makes the courtyards so special, but also easy to miss, is that from the street, outside the walls, you usually can’t even tell what lies hidden inside.

Haarlem also is one of the most popular shopping cities in the Netherlands. You can find everything your heart desires in the shops of the Gouden Straatjes (Golden Streets), or visit the Gierstraat, where you will find over 50 individual shops, in refreshing contrast to the big, international brand stores that tend to dominate European city centres.

Two outstanding museums are also worth visiting, even if the weather is too good for indoor visits. Teylers Museum is the oldest museum in the Netherlands, covering technical and natural history, and Frans Hals Museum is an excellent art museum in a historic 17th-century building.

Historic Hoorn

Hoorn in the province of North Holland is a town with a great seafaring heritage. The 1615 expedition of the ships Hoorn and Eendracht, which first sailed around the notorious cape, gave the name Cape Horn to the southernmost point of South America. Hoorn used to be a mighty base of the Dutch East India Company (VOC), but was unable to compete with upcoming Amsterdam in the long run.

What remains of this glorious seafaring age is, along with Haarlem and Amsterdam itself, one of the most beautiful cityscapes in the country, especially the picturesque harbour area with its historic buildings. The former wealth of the city is still reflected today in the diversity of its architectural attractions.

Coming from the north, or if you are already sailing on the IJsselmeer, Hoorn is easily reached after passing the locks at Enkhuizen, from which it is only a short sail with no navigational challenges. The town has several harbours and marinas; the best for visiting yachts would be one of the two friendly marinas close to the city centre, or the good and very sheltered anchorage in the outer harbour, with excellent holding in about two metres on mud.

Echoes of empire

Continuing past the anchorage as you approach the city, you will find the WSV Hoorn marina to starboard. This is my personal favourite, as it is very peaceful and beautifully situated, surrounded by a park. Facilities ashore include an inviting clubhouse with bar and restaurant, and the walk into the historic city centre is short and scenic.

The alternative would be the large and commercial Grashaven marina, to port when coming into Hoorn. Outside Grashaven is a fuel barge for diesel that also has a small shop and chandlery. Finally, Marina Kap Hoorn is located quite a way outside of town, but is said to be welcoming and friendly.

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When in Hoorn, the former wealth of the city is on impressive display, illustrated by the stately town homes and former warehouses, silent reminders that Hoorn once was the principal Dutch port during the country’s ‘Golden Age’. This lasted from the founding of the republic in 1588 until 1682, which is referred to as the ‘Rampjaar’, or disaster year due to the numerous wars.

During the Golden Age, however, the Dutch were the most prominent and successful of all European powers in exploration, trade and overseas colonisation, particularly in the Far East. Hoorn was, in turn, the principal Dutch port and trading hub at the time.

The central square in Hoorn is called the ‘Roode Steen’ for an actually rather barbaric reason. The name translates as ‘red stone’, which refers to a stone on which executions used to take place in former times, the blood that flowed then turning the stone red. No wonder that some prefer to call the market square simply the ‘Kaasmarkt’, or cheese market.

I sailed into Hoorn in the summer of 2024, en route from the Baltic to Brittany with my son, on the day of the final match of the European Football Championship: England vs Spain. Unfortunately, England lost, but as we saw the game in a truly Spanish tapas bar on ‘Roode Steen’, we experienced a most memorable evening and a great party!

Places to visit

• Oerkap Beach Bar in Haarlem – The place to go for pizza, drinks and live music in summer. Harmenjansweg 95, Haarlem.
• The Jopen Brewery – Actually located inside a church, so if beer is a religion for you, this is the place to go! Gedempte Voldersgracht 2, Haarlem.
• For a good overview of Haarlem – Eat and drink on the rooftop bar and restaurant De Dakkas. De Witstraat 1A, Haarlem.
• For shopping for functional and fashionable on-water wear – visit the store Hoorn Maritiem, Veermanskade 12, Hoorn.
• Take the museum steam train from Hoorn to Medemblik – Van Dedemstraat 8, Hoorn.
• Enjoy drinks, snacks or meals in one of the most traditional of traditional ‘brown cafés’ – The Eetcafé ‘t Schippershuis on the harbour front, also featuring billiards and a piano. Veermanskade 1, Hoorn.

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